Collapsible egg crate



Sept. 29, 1925.

1,555,319 H. SHOOPMAN E? m.

COLLAPSIBLE EGG CRATE Filed June 16 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 gwvento'o ffezzryiekoo man 45 Jfaoo aman Sept. 29, 1925.

H. SHOOPMAN ET AL COLLAPSIBLE EZGC: CRATE Filed June '16.

1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ffezzry 67 00 cm]:

45'. sizoo ama'zw' Patented Sept. 29, 1925 warren stars-s PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY SHOOPMAN, OF LINCCLN, AND SAMUEL SHOOPMAN, 0F CAIRO, NEBRASKA, AS- SIGNORS 0F ONE-FOURTH TO SABURO SHINDO AND ONE-FOURTH TO JOHN S. WAKI- MOTO, 0F LINCOLN, NEBRASKA.

COLLAPSIBLE EGG CRATE.

Application filed June 16, 1924. Serial No. 720,258.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that HENRY SHOOIMAN and SAMUEL SHOOPMAN, citizens of the United States, residing at Lincoln, Lancaster County, and Cairo, Hall County, Nebraska, respectively, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Collapsible Crates, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to an egg crate intended for use in shipping eggs to market. When collapsed the crate makes a very compact package to be returned to the owner.

One object of the invention is to provide the crate with ventilating apertures in order to keep the shipped eggs in good condition.

A still further object is to construct the crate in such a manner that it cannot be damaged during transportation, thereby protecting the eggs contained therein.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the crate with the lid open;

Figure 2 is an end view of the crate in erected position and with the lid closed;

Figure 3 is a transverse section along line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a transverse section of the crate collapsed, and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary section of a hinge joint taken along line 5-5 of Figure In the drawings, reference numeral 10 represents the base of a crate which is made in the shape of a trough with upstanding side and end walls. This base forms a receptacle for the collapsed portions of the crate, that is to say, the crate walls and lid, and the depth of the base accordingly cor-- responds to the packed thickness of said parts. The side walls 11 of the base re turned inwardly and formed as-hinges 12 adapted to receive eyes along the lower edge of the crate walls 13 and a rod 1 1 is adapted to engage said hinge and eye portions to connect the crate walls with the base. Each of the crate walls is slitted as at 15, in longitudinal direction in order to provide venti lating apertures and the upper edges of the slits are preferably pressed outwardly to prevent water from entering through said apertures.

One of the crate walls 13 has also overturned lips 16 adapted to engage corresponding eyes on a lid 17 and through which a hinge rod 18 is inserted. The lid 17 is of the same length and width as the crate and terminates with a doubled up lip 19 at its free end adapted to rest over the top edge of the corresponding crate wall 13. The end walls 20 and 21 of the crate are formed with vertical hinges engaging the hinge members along the corresponding edges of the respective crate walls 13, as best seen in Figures 1 and 2 and each end wall 20 and 21 is formed by two leaves which are hinged together, as at 22, along a medial vertical line of the crate permitting the bending inwardly of the end walls 20 and 21 when the crate is collapsed. Each of the end walls is provided with a handle 23 for carrying the crate and on one of the leaves 241 is formed a pocket 25 adapted to receive a label or address card 26 showing the destination of the crate through an opening 27 in the pocket, see Figure 2.

Midway between the ends of the crate walls 13 are hinged a pair of doors 28 which overlap in the middle and are adapted to swing fiatagainst the crate walls 13, as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 1. In this manner two compartments of the same size are provided in the crate and in these compartments are deposited the cells or cardboard carriers for the eggs.

The hinge joints of the crate are all alike and formed as indicated in Figure 5 which represents in particular the hinge joint between the end walls 20 and 21 and the crate walls 13. In other words, the edges of the plates forming the walls are out to form fingers which are bent double thus providing hinge eyes 29 in which a hinge rod 30 engages.

When the crate has been emptied and is ready to be returned to the owner, one of the hinge rods 14 is removed from the base 11 and the crate wall 13. The doors 28 are then swung apart to lie flat against the cor responding crate wall and the leaves of the end walls 20 and 21 are pushed inwardly as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 1 when the free crate wall 13 can be pressed towards the opposite crate wall, as indicated in Figure 41. This will permit the swinging downwardly of the side and end walls of the crate into the hollow base 11 and finally the lid is swung back over the uppermost crate Wall 13 and the parts tied or locked together in any suitable manner hile the hinge rod 1a is returned into the hinge eyes of the base ill. The crate is then collapsed into the form shown in Figure a, taking no more room than the base itself as practically all the rest of the crate is housed Within the same.

On the under side of the base are provided small semi-spherical knobs 31 which form feet for thecrate when erected.

it suitable size tor this egg crate would be 24in. length between the end Walls measured inside of the crate and about 12 in. cross Ways and the same height with the crate erected. The depth of the base may be about one inch while its length and Width dimensions will be slightly greater than that of the crate alls.

In order to strengthen the crate, reinforcing corrugations or grooves are pressed in the plates, as at 35, particularly in the sides and ends.

Having thus described the invention, What is claimed asnew is:

An crate including a base having a bottom, sides and ends, the sides having inwardly projecting overhanging flanges along their upper edges, crate side Walls detachably hinged to the overhanging flanges on the sides of the base foldable end Walls hinged to and connecting the side walls, and a cover hinged to the upper edge of one side Wall and provided at its free edge with a lip to engaege over the upper edge at the opposite in Wall, the Walls when collapsed Within the base and below tie overha: ging flanges thereon with the cover overlying the walls between the flanges.

in testimony whereof We attix our signatures.

HENRY SHOOPMAN. [n s] SAM SHUJOPMAN. 

